Security operatives, including those attached to oil company facilities have been charged to avoid trampling on the dignity of human persons in the course of discharging their duties. They were urged to be conscious of the respect for and protection of human rights as contained in the Nigerian Constitution and other Human Rights instruments.
The charge was given during a two day training of public security in the Niger Delta on voluntary principles on security and human rights organized recently in Port Harcourt by Leadership Initiative for Transformation and Empowerment (LITE-Africa), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Warri, Delta State, in collaboration with the Nigerian Working Group on the Voluntary Principles Initiative on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR).
In his presentation on human rights and the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as it relates to human rights, Pastor Innocent Adjenughure, noted that violating human dignity amounts to reducing the victim to a subhuman status, explaining that the essence of human rights is to ensure the protection of human dignity.
The security personnel were trained on issues of human rights and the need to protect and promote them, and were reminded that violations of human rights amount to disrespect to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
They were also trained on how to carry out proper risk assessment to ensure the rights of citizens are upheld and respected while protecting company facilities. Human rights violations, manifesting in form of injustice, discrimination and marginalisation, were identified as part of the root causes of conflicts and agitations in the society.
In his own presentation, Hon. Joel Bisina, Executive Director of LITE-Africa, stated that the training is important because of the volatility of the country in general and the Niger Delta in particular.
He explained that the VP is a set of soft laws that guide companies on providing security for their operation to ensure human rights are respected while protecting company facilities. It was launched in 2000 as a multi stakeholder initiative, including Governments, Companies and Non Governmental Organisations.
He disclosed that many multinational extractive companies, governments and NGOs have adopted the Principles.
Although, Nigeria is yet to adopt the VPs initiatives, most international oil companies operating in Nigeria are part of the initiative and by so doing, have accepted in principles to respect peoples rights while carrying out their business operations.
He stated that it has become worrisome across the globe that in the course of their operations, companies have continued to impact negatively on their host communities, including flagrant violations of their rights, such as right to life, dignity of human persons, livelihood, safety and clean environment.
He lamented that public security operatives often aid and abet extractive companies like Shell, Agip and Elf in flagrant violations of these rights, not minding that their primary responsibility is to protect the citizenry and maintain peace and order.
Hon Bisina advised the Security operatives to always play mediatory roles, rather than being on the side of the oppressors whenever there is conflict between the country they were attached to and community members.
The workshop was organised as part of an ongoing project being implemented by LITE-Africa with funding from the Swiss Confederation to promote human rights in Nigeria through Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Right.
This workshop is an intervention in response to numerous reports of violations of citizens and community rights by security forces, explained Mr Iheanyi Iheke, a staff of Lite Africa who facilitated the training. He noted that it is expected that through the project, Human Rights violations by security Personnel would be reduced.
